The proliferation of conspiracy theories: Understanding the motivations and reputational consequences

To gain popularity, some leaders are known to spread conspiracy theories. What are the reputational benefits and costs of doing so? The Adaptive-Conspiracism hypothesis proposes that it pays to be vigilant against possible conspiracies, especially in case of intergroup threat. Those who spread conspiracy theories may therefore be seen as particularly valuable group members. Few studies have focused on the reputational impact of spreading a conspiracy theory. We conducted four vignette studies (N = 1642) where participants rated a conspiracy spreader (versus a neutral person) on a range of personality traits in different intergroup contexts. The results indicated that conspiracy spreaders were consistently perceived as more dominant and less warm than people making non-conspiratorial claims about certain events. Moreover, intergroup conflict attenuated the negative effects of spreading conspiracy theories on competence and warmth. These findings support the notion that besides drawbacks, spreading conspiracy theories can have benefits for the spreader's reputation, particularly during an intergroup conflict.